November 26, 2013

Jerry Jones says it's a 'privilege' to be criticized, wasn't trying to take pressure off Garrett, team with comments

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said his comments to reporters this week weren’t meant to divert pressure from coach Jason Garrett and the team to himself.

But if it happened that way, he’s fine with it.

“I didn’t do it deliberately for that,” he said. “But we could gild that lily about all we want to, or could. And would. But we didn’t need the Giants to beat us in here tonight, and they are very capable of it, on the road. They were the favorites, and our franchise – our year – didn’t need this. I think everybody sensed it, but certainly, the level I look at it from now, that it would have been sad times over these next coming weeks had we not won this game tonight.”

Jones said it’s a “privilege” to be criticized for his work as general manager, which includes three Super Bowls but is now going on two decades without another one, and with only one playoff victory.

“It’s a privilege,” he said. “I mean this. I mean it. It’s a privilege. It’s an absolute labor of love and a privilege to be critiqued if the Cowboys aren’t doing good. It is an honor to get to be with the team, the league and the game.”

He continued, on the Cowboys’ lack of success: “I don’t like it. I want to do something about it to change it. But I don’t agree with what some people want me to do to change it. I hope no one thinks I am going to listen to that. Having said that, I expect it and frankly I do – it’s a big part of my life, and I cherish it.”